Hello, fellow artists! Today I come to you regarding the issue of a fake studio that goes by the name “Swamp Ape Studios” being ran by a notorious scam artist by the name of O’neal Pignani, or better known as Von Kreep.

Please follow this link to learn more. For a more in depth thread of those sharing their experiences with this guy, go here.Now, before I go on any further I’d like to mention that I worked for this guy. It wasn’t long before I heard the horror stories from others who worked for O’Neal. Things usually follow the same pattern. Kreep hires a team of animators to do his bidding, and when he receives compensation, no one on the team sees the money. Besides him, of course. This is something that he’s done for well over five years. Everyone knows that once you’re a scam artist, you’re always a scam artist. Artists, be aware of Von Kreep’s recent project “Monstroville.”

Or at least I would say “recent” had it not been for the fact he’s been scamming people with this very project for over five years!O’neal told me to pay no mind to anyone warning me about him. He claimed that people did not pay “him” for “his” services, when it’s the other way around. There’s so much proof against this guy, it doesn’t even make sense how people choose to believe him over those he’s abused.Now, how can you help? SPREAD THIS AROUND!There are tons of artists, animators, voice actors and only one O’Neal! If we could spread this around enough, he wouldn’t be able to use anyone else again!Don’t let something like this get swept under the rug. If you know anyone working for O’neal Pignani or you are working for him yourself, please warn them or get out of there! If you think that he would never take advantage of you, you’re wrong! So many others thought the same too. You’re not special to him. You’re just part of his sick game.

He now also goes by Spookhouse Industries, Monster Shindig and I'm sure there are a few others as well. Still pulling the same cons on artists...Now I think he's selling a book called Cereal Killers that is comprised of other artists works...not sure if he has the rights to them or not but just so you guys know.

Hi, thanks for this. Its been a while since we've updated the website. I wrote and am the editor of the blogstpot you linked started by someone who actually warned ME originally whose pleas I ignored/struggled believing for the SAME EXACT REASONS you listed. Man did I end up screwing the pooch. Von is so good at playing the bullshit sympathy card (a situation he put himself in). I actually started up a new email, could you possibly message any details you had with your experience at screwedbyvon@gmail.com ? Thanks Crystal. Anything helps in this situation, seriously.

I dont mean this in a bad way or anything, but do you have proof that he scams people? I know that i got completely ripped off by someone that hired me to do graphic design once and then he spread rumours that i was the one in the wrong, so now i just am a bit more skeptical about what people say about others without proof. If you could give me a bit more info that would be super great! I dont like jumping to conclusions :/

Did you click the links? He's scammed many, many artists. I would not lie about this, dude. I was in the middle of this shit fighting tooth and nail to protect young animators from working with this guy. Anyway, since you just joined today and this journal is the only thing you commented on...I find you a bit suspicious. You don't just randomly find this journal.

No dude i totally believe you now after doing more research through the interwebs! Its just so crap though that people act like that. I was actually asking because he had approached me and asked me to help with some work and luckily i hadnt done anything before finding theseI actually just joined so that i could ask that qt, but after posting it and doing my own research i found that the qt wasnt even necessary. Glad i dodged that bullet!

Man, he's still trying to beg people to do free work? Last time I heard, he was going under the name "phantasmagoria entertainment" or something stupid like that.I'm glad you actually did research. I was stupid and excited to work on a cartoon at last, and was majorly disappointed and scared when I heard what this dude was really like.Sorry for the suspicion! He's just tried his hardest to get me to remove all my posts concerning him, so he can continue getting away with being fucking scum!

Kudos dude for putting it out there. Ive now learnt to research anyone you are thinking of working with before doing anything, but its disappointing that something like that needs to be doneThe art world is full of amazing people, but also some full arses!

I hope you found better work after that stint where you can actually display your talent and be aptly rewarded for it

Beware! He's now working on this new project called "Death Reserve" again with art designs from other artists.See here: www.gofundme.com/helpmakedeath…Some of the artists didn't even know he was using their art for this.

He contacted some people and with a nice story and showed them some art from others to show he's got something and offcourse people say: "sure I'm interested." Why the hell not, the art is amazing!!! But there's no agreement, no collaboration. So NO TEAM!!! But still he's putting their work out there and claims they are on his team. So people will donate! He even got perks: T-shirts, stickers, posters, etc to sell...again with other people's work.

He also uses a different name now as a company: "Phantasmagoria Entertainment" Which is nothing more then a name, really. instagr.in/u/phantasmagoria.en… again with all other people's work.

And what about this?? While Von Kreep claims to be a production company with a team his wife has another gofundme campaign begging to help their family to avoid homelessness, because they don't have a job?www.gofundme.com/SaveThePignan…

This guy is nothing more then an unemployed artist who doesn't have anything and doesn't no shit about producing.And maybe he's really trying to realize his unrealistic dream to create something, I don't know.But that doesn't matter. He's still using other peoples work to get there, keeps the money instead of paying the real artists , telling lies, never takes his responsibilities, drops everything when it doesn't work and that's simply WRONG!

Spread the word so everyone in the business will know who and what Oneal aka Von Kreep really is.

He made Monstroville and Vileville ..... and I'm making one called Ragville, Well that certainly doesn't make me very heppy >: ... this is really sucky stuff :/, there should be contracts if any for stuff like this.

Hey I've actually seen a bit of Ragville and it's SUPER CUTE! Lizzie is voicing in that right?Sorry, he has a fetish for "ville" but don't let that stop you! You can take ville to a good and happy place!There are contracts also, they're unfulfilled though. Anyone would be wise to not go to court over maybe the 200 kreep owes you but lose it anyway to the cost of lawyers.So the only thing we can do is spread this stuff around!

Haha thanks a whole bunch and likewise bud, and yep she is ^^. I'll make sure that it does and give a good name to the Ville's lmao. I suppose by this point its just about spreading it and hoping to reach out before he does to other unsuspecting peeps :/, already sent an E-mail to everyone I collaborate as soon as I read the news. Will also be passing it to other fellow animators !

As much as it's pretty disgusting for how a complete simpleton allow himself to do this, but out of the question from it, why hasn't he of yet been sent to court for such wrong doing?You'd think for a guy like himself whom only does this just for kicks out of artists who see how much of a fraud he is and how no one gets any money from this, would take action into ridding him from this all.